Wednesday, June 03, 2009

The Indian Lads visiting

What to make of this whole business of Indian students in Australia being physically assaulted, suffering racial discrimination, dodgy educational institutions clearly there to make money and nothing else, breaching of working hours by the students, Indian students driving taxis when they ought not be in charge of a billy cart, staffing our supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol stations, crowding up our public transport......I could go on and on.

I have given the matter some thought over the last few days. I was terribly annoyed with the protesting students when they broke some very old stained glass windows at Flinders Street Station. Just not cricket chaps. Break some more modern glass if you must.

My opinions and thoughts have run riot, as they often do over a very contentious matter. But I have come to a couple of Motherhood type conclusions. Leave all the above out it for a moment, not to say that these matters don't need addressing.

No human should suffer an assault on their person and it matters not at all where the person comes from. The people who perpetrate such acts have had a bad upbringing, or are mentally ill, or just bad and they think that they are above the law and our social standards and certainly will go on to be misfits in our society, in they aren't already.

Much as we would like it not to be, we will always have these types within, or on the edge of our society.

It follows that it is up to society as a whole to have no tolerance for such people and their illegal deeds, which brings me to the point that it is up to law enforcement officers to uphold the law by preventing such assaults and if they do happen, prosecute to the full extent that they can. The courts should then sentence the guilty appropriately, with the mind set that physical assault is intolerable.

Victorian police prevention, clearly FAIL. Prosecution and investigation, well it takes time but going by past assaults that we should be hearing about from our courts and are not, FAIL. Courts, well I can go by other cases of assaults that have come before them, FAIL. And overseeeing all the above, the Victorian State Government who has allowed such a mess to develop, FAIL.

(I probably should read what I wrote and make some corrections, but I am not in the mood for such finesse)

11 comments:

I agree (with the post). If special conditions are created in order to deal with one minority, this will make the situation worse.

People have been complaining about the lack of security on public transport and lack of police patrolling for years and this is a simply a product of the inaction. It's funny how with all the drunken bashings in the city over the past few months prior to all this there was no mention of any race at all. What bothers me most is the fact that economics is brought into it as some sort of argument - how much money international students bring in - and is used as some sort of a threat. The bottom line is that people are getting assaulted and this should be the main focus, regardless of race.

You know me, I tend you avoid the world where ever possible, so I really only became aware of this whole situation on Sunday when I couldn't travel through the city by tram thanks to a protest. I don't delight in being ignorant but I find mainstram media such a turn-off.

Anyway, maybe it is part of my ignorance, but are Indian students in particular such a problem? Don't the small-minded fear the Asian students any more or have they realised that they're not here to take over the country and have shifted their focus accordingly?

Perhaps there is a link here between race and violence, however no attack should be considered acceptable and personally I'm not going to complain if there was an increase in security staff and surveilance on pubic transport, at stations and throughout the CBD matched by a decent police presence.

I know that might be asking a bit much though, in the meantime I guess I'll have to keep preaching about tolerance to anyone who'll listen.

I too, agree with Brian, who agrees with you. I was so mad at the breaking of the glass too. I am mad at all the violence, no matter whom is instigaing it. Zero Tolerance to bad behaviour is the motto I have adopted, no matter who it is conveying it.

The Vic Police seem to have just thrown up their hands long ago and can't find their arse with their baton.Complete ZERO tolerance on every kind of law breaking but it needs to be followed up with ball-breaking gaol sentences from the judges, not these pissy slaps on the wrists.

My public diary, not my private one. I live in a highrise apartment building in inner Melbourne. My interests are varied but top of the list are old buildings, history and public transport. You will find plenty of personal experiences to read in my blog too. Just be aware I am not an historian, amateur or otherwise. While I make some effort to be accurate, I don't do proper methodical research so I advise you check all details on your own behalf should you wish to quote me. Your comments are very welcome, but try to be nice to my fragile yet overblown ego. I enjoy receiving email. You can find my eddress in my complete profile.